Top 5 GoPro Hero Cameras Compared

To avoid GoPros

GoPro doesn’t sell anything older than the Hero 12, but there are plenty of Hero 11s and even Hero 10s for sale on the Internet. We recommend avoiding them. They may work fine, but modern accessories made for later models won’t work, and these cameras have likely been through the wringer. (They are action cameras, after all.)

Best GoPro Accessories

Photo: Scott Gilbertson

Should you buy the bundle? Usually, I say no. Get a camera, figure it out, and see how you use it. When you find yourself trying to solve a problem, start looking for an accessory. Here are some of my favorites that I’ve tested and used, but if you have favorites you think I should try, leave a comment below.

A good microSD card for $50According to : GoPro Recommendationsyou want a V30 or UHS-3 rated microSD card. That said, GoPros can be finicky about SD cards. I’ve had good luck with the Samsung linked here, and I recommend it. Another card that I have used extensively is SanDisk Extreme Pro.

GoPro Media Mod for $100: By far my most used accessory, Media Mode adds a bit more, but in most cases it’s more than offset by the fact that you can attach a real microphone (I use mine with the Rode Wireless). The sound quality has improved drastically with it. This may be less important if you get a Hero 12 or later, as those models have support for Bluetooth mics.

GoPro handlebar mount for $40: I’ve been riding a lot lately, and this mount is very much alive on my bike these days. It’s been solid in my testing, and has beaten any third-party mounts I’ve tested.

GoPro Tripod Mount Adapters for $30: Unless you have a Hero 12 or 13, which has a tripod mount built in, you’ll need some of these to mount your GoPro on a tripod like the Gorilla Pod.

GoPro Floaty for $35: Grab one of these if you’re going anywhere near water. Trust me, you will drop your GoPro, and when you do, you’ll be glad you have it (unless the water is clear and you’re a good free diver). GoPro also makes one. Floating Hand Grip ($23), Which not only floats but also has a strap for diving or surfing.

GoPro Selfie Stick for $80: This 48-inch extension pole folds up surprisingly small and isn’t too heavy. This is the best selfie stick I have ever used. I rarely use it for selfies, but it makes a great monopod on soft ground, like a sandy beach.

DaVinci Resolve Studio for $300: This is my video editing software of choice. There is a free version, but I’m tired of changing media to meet the restrictions of the free version. Best money I’ve ever spent when it comes to making better videos.

Do more with your GoPro.

GoPro Hero 13 in black and white color with Anamorphic Lens attached.Photo: Scott Gilbertson

So you bought a GoPro, now what? Aside from reading the manual and learning how to control it, the best thing to do is get out there and experiment. Here are a few tips and things I use my GoPro for regularly.

GoPro Labs: GoPro Labs is an alternative firmware for your GoPro Hero camera that enables all sorts of features and experiences that allow you to do things you can’t do with the stock firmware. There is some risk of instability and bugs, but I’ve been using Labs’ firmware for five years now and never had a problem. It’s like adding 10 new features to your GoPro for free. I’ll mention many of my favorites in the sections below, but you can check out the full list of things you can do with GoPro Labs on the GoPro Labs website.

Time-lapse videos: After mounting a GoPro on my bike, this is my most used feature. GoPro’s time-lapse is incredibly easy to use (compared to most mirrorless cameras anyway) and with Labs’ firmware you can. Really long time-lapse shotsMore than 24 hours if you have a battery pack to help power it.

Increase the bitrate.: By default Hero 13 Black does not record at the highest bitrate. This is probably why your video looks dark and not as clear and sharp as it should be. Change this by going into the ProTune settings and selecting “High” for Bitrate. If you want to be crazy, you can. Use labs to increase your bitrate to 200. (“High” setting in stock firmware is 100). The caveat is that depending on your SD card, you may not be able to record this high. But everything helps. The trade-off is that cranking up the bitrate chews up the battery and can also lead to overheating, so if you’re shooting in very hot conditions, you’ll want to dial it down. Some footage is better than no footage because you overheated and the camera shut down.

Learn manual exposure.: Hero 13 Black gives you complete control over exposure, so take advantage of it. Play specifically with exposure compensation (called EV Comp in Settings). Try dialing it down to -1 for afternoon shots. Also play with the maximum ISO. The lower you can put it, the better your footage will look, although since the GoPro is useless in low light, there are some limitations.

Improve sound with Media Mode: It bears repeating, but Media Mode is the best way to get good sound out of a GoPro without investing in Bluetooth mics (which are impractical in many mounting scenarios anyway). The only time the media mode leaves my GoPro is when I’m in the water (sadly, the Hero that has the media mode installed isn’t exactly waterproof).

Is now a good time to buy?

Earlier this week, GoPro announced its new Mission 1 cameras, which offer cinema-ready features in action camera form. Mission 1 is cameras. A new image processorGP3. The last time GoPro updated its processor was in 2021 with the release of Hero 10 which used GP2.

The GP3 is a 5-nanometer system on a chip (SoC), similar to the Insta360 and DJI’s action cameras that we released late last year. More interesting is the claim that the GP3 will have “more than 2X the pixel processing power”, which is all you need to handle 8K (or more) footage. Hero 13 Black is limited to 5.3K video.

The Mission 1 cameras will have better low-light performance, which GoPro has sucked at in the past, while maintaining a smaller camera form factor. However, it’s worth noting here that GoPro hasn’t mentioned the price yet and the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro aren’t available for pre-order until May 21. The Mission 1 Pro ILS, along with some bundles, won’t arrive until later this year (GoPro says Q3).

If you want a GoPro for the start of summer, the Hero 13 Black is still fine. Otherwise, I’ll update this guide when I’ve tested one, or all, of the Mission cameras.

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